Clouds are generally a good thing for landscape photographers. Sadly last night Hobart was fairly much covered in cloud:

SUBJ: IPS AURORA ALERT 0920 UT ON 09 Mar 2012 HIGH LATITUDES
ISSUED AT 0920 UT ON 09 Mar 2012 BY IPS RADIO AND SPACE SERVICES
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE FORECAST CENTRE


GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS. AURORA MAY BE OBSERVED
DURING LOCAL NIGHT TIME HOURS IN GOOD OBSERVING CONDITIONS
AT HIGH LATITUDES.

So the clouds blocked out any chance of seeing or photographing it!